


Heroes and Dragons

by notjustmom



Series: Ironstrange [40]
Category: Doctor Strange (2016), Iron Man (Movies)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Different First Meeting, M/M, Pre-Slash, Tom Robbins, timeline questionable
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-04-24
Updated: 2019-04-24
Packaged: 2020-01-25 22:34:28
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 945
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18583969
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/notjustmom/pseuds/notjustmom
Summary: “I'm an outlaw, not a hero. I never intended to rescue you. We're our own dragons as well as heroes, and we have to rescue ourselves from ourselves.”― Tom Robbins, Still Life with Woodpecker





	Heroes and Dragons

He blinks in confusion at his surroundings. Definitely not the Sanctum. Or Kamar-Taj. Nothing is familiar, except it did remind him of his old apartment, cold and impersonal; it was the bedroom of a rich, powerful man, who rarely slept.

Someone clears his throat, then mutters from the doorway, "sorry. I didn't mean for you to wake up alone. I know how it sucks to come to in an unfamiliar place." He knows the voice from somewhere, but can't quite place it. He watches as the man slowly makes his way across the room with a mug of coffee, then grimaces as he eases himself into the chair next to the bed, as if in pain. 

Stephen studies the face, then rolls his eyes as he realizes who the voice belongs to. "You're -"

"Tony Stark, at your service." Tony nods his head and smirks in way of introduction. "Yes, I know, I look taller on television. The armor adds a few inches, and I have a deal with the press that they angle the camera just so. What's the last thing you remember?"

Stephen closes his eyes and thinks for a moment, but comes up empty and shakes his head. "How long have I been here?"

"Day and a half. Your cloak will be happy to see you, sometime I'd like to study -"

"Her. Her name is Mina."

"Short for Wilhelmina? Means 'willing to protect,' good name." Stephen makes a move to sit up, but Tony murmurs lightly, "I wouldn't, you've got a few cracked ribs, some nasty cuts and bruises. Whatever thing you were fighting before I got there did a number on you." He shrugs as Stephen holds his arm over his bandaged ribs and swears through gritted teeth as he manages to sit up against the headboard. "I had a feeling you were as stubborn as you are -"

"Stupid?" Stephen groans out as he tries to take a deep breath.

"Stupid's a good word, but, I was going to say brave. I have some good painkillers, if you wizards are allowed."

"Sorcerer." He regrets the harshness as the word leaves his mouth, but isn't used to company when he's in pain.

"Sorry. Sorcerer. Got it."

"No. If anyone owes an apology, it's me. I'm just not used to needing rescuing; I'm -"

Tony shrugs again and stares down into the mug in his hands. "I know who you are, Strange. That thing with Dormammu? I've done some crazy shit in my time, but -"

"How? But, no one knows, I made sure -."

"Ever since the attack on New York, I've, well, I've seen things, things that I can't tell anyone about, because no one would believe me, I didn't even believe me until I saw you falling in my dream, but not a dream, if that makes sense?" He takes another sip of his coffee and frowns at it for a moment before he sets it aside. "I was actually sleeping for once, on the couch, in my workshop, when I saw you, so I put on the armor, and you were still falling, when I caught up to you, and caught you. Thought you were dead until you started humming, some song from the 70s, one of those one-hit wonders, then you passed out. I did what I could to fix you up, Mina was very concerned with your, well, shall we say, dignity?" Tony looks up and offers him a grin, then looks away again shyly and clears his throat. "Are you hungry? I'm not sure what sorcerers eat -"

"Ham and swiss on rye from the corner deli when I can get it." 

Tony glances at him again, and shakes his head. "I think I can do better than that, I do wonders with a take-out menu."

Stephen finds himself staring into eyes that return his gaze with interest, not pity, or fear for the first time in years, and he tries to remember what should happen next, when Tony moves his chair closer, picks up his hand and holds it lightly in his. Tony rolls his eyes at Mina who has floated closer, to just behind his shoulder, from curiosity more than anything else, it seems to him. He lets go of Stephen's hand and mutters, "relax, Mina. I was just taking his pulse. We're not engaged or anything."

Stephen nods at Mina, who quickly turns indignantly and flies off back to the far corner of the room; if she had arms to cross, he knows she would be crossing them at him.

"Possessive, much?" 

"Relics can be a bit on the jealous side. She chose to save me, an untested student, not even a master. She seemed to think I had potential." Stephen snorts, then laughs as Mina shrugs dismissively.

"I think she chose wisely."

"Says the man who who had to save me because I was stupid?" Stephen growls out as he throws his legs over the side of the bed, swearing a blue streak when he jostles his ribs.

Without a word, Tony carefully helps him to lay back down, then settles on the edge of the bed, and picks up Stephen's hand again, presses his lips to his wrist, and lingers there for a moment, while he waits for Stephen to catch his breath. "I'm sure one day in the near future, there will be an opportunity for you to return the favor. Spend enough time with me, and you'll find that I need rescuing every once in a while. Sometimes heroes need to be rescued every so oft -"

"I'm not a hero."

Tony whispers, "no. No, of course not. Me either. It'll be our secret, hmm?"


End file.
